Ultra-thin multi-layer protection

ABSTRACT

An implantable medical device including a plurality of components on a substrate, and a biocompatible multi-layer coating applied by vapour deposition to conform to and sealingly cover at least a portion of the components and/or the substrate. The coating is applied in at least two sets, each set having first, second and third layers. At least one of the first, second and third layers consist essentially of a polymer such as parylene and at least one of the other two layers of the set consist essentially of inorganic material such that each layer differs in at least one diffusion barrier property from the other layers in the set and adds to an overall barrier effect of the coating.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/233,395 by Burger et al. filed Aug. 12, 2009 entitled “Ultrathin Multilayers for a Hermetic Packaging”. The following applications, filed concurrently herewith, are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Plasma Enhanced Polymer Ultra-Thin Multi-Layer Packaging” by Hogg et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Packaging with Active Protection Layer” by Hogg et al.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to hermetic biocompatible packaging and more particularly to packaging that is deposited in successive layers over three-dimensional structures.

2. Description of the Related Art

Packaging which is cost-effective and compatible with miniaturization is an important factor in the production of an implantable medical device. There is a need for a reliable, cost-effective batch-manufacturing packaging process such as a wafer level packaging, to protect components such as electronic- and mechanical components, micro-electronic- and mechanical systems, micro-electro-mechanical systems and substrates carrying such components. The mentioned packaging must be mechanically and chemically stable to protect the body tissue from potentially toxic dissolvents, and also to protect the components of the implanted device from corrosion or degradation created by bodily fluids.

Encapsulation of organic light emitting diodes by at least one barrier stack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,325 by Graff et al. The barrier stack includes at least one barrier layer and at least one decoupling layer. Other protective barriers which include parylene for opto-electronic devices are disclosed by Lee et al. in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0146267, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,925, and 2007/0216300, now abandoned.

Techniques for protecting integrated circuits using copolymers formed of parylene N and co-monomers with various double bonds is disclosed by Lang et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,715. Other, more recent coating techniques utilizing parylene are disclosed by Bedinger et al. in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0291200 and by Martin, III et al. in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0263581 and 2009/0263641.

It is therefore desirable to provide improved hermetic biocompatible packaging, especially for implantable medical devices for which reduction of size is preferred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide improved, lower-cost multi-layer packaging having low permeability to bodily fluids to protect both the patient and components beneath the packaging.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such packaging which can be applied to medical devices substantially at room temperature to protect the medical devices against temperature defects which may otherwise occur at higher application temperatures.

This invention features an implantable medical device including a plurality of components on a substrate, and a biocompatible multi-layer coating applied by vapour deposition to conform to and sealingly cover at least a portion of the components. The coating is applied in at least two sets, each set having at least first, second and third layers. At least one of the first, second and third layers consist essentially of a polymer such as parylene and at least one of the other two layers of the set consist essentially of inorganic material such that each layer differs in at least one diffusion barrier property from the other layers in the set and adds to the overall barrier effect of the coating.

In some embodiments, a barrier property for the transport of impurities is dominated more by the interface between two adjacent layers than by the thickness of each individual layer, and diffusion through each layer differs from that of the other layers in the set. The inorganic material is supplied by vapour deposition. In one embodiment, the multi-layer coating conforms to and sealingly covers at least substantially all of the components, some or all of which may be three-dimensional, and may cover some or all of the substrate as well. In certain embodiments, the inorganic material is generated from a downstream plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, and in other embodiments from an in-situ plasma in a reactor. In some embodiments, the polymer is a type of parylene, and the inorganic layers are selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, semi-metals, semi-metal oxides, semi-metal nitrides, semi-metal carbides, semi-metal oxynitrides and combinations thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In what follows, preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of complex, three-dimensional components and a substrate coated with multiple layers according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of multiple layers according to the present invention protecting a component on a substrate; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a reactor system for producing multi-layer packaging according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of components and a substrate of an implantable medical device 20 with three-dimensional conformal packaging according to the present invention. Device 20 includes a plurality of three-dimensional components, such as transistor 8, micro-electro-mechanical system 9 and conductive bonding 10, on a substrate 23 which can be flexible or rigid as desired. A biocompatible multi-layer coating 22 applied by vapour deposition conforms to and sealingly covers at least a portion of the components 8,9,10 and the substrate 23.

The coating 22 is applied in at least two sets 24, 26, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 2, to form coating 22 a over component 2 of device 20 a with substrate 23 a. Each set has at least first, second and third layers, such as layers 3, 4 and 5 of set 24. At least one of the first, second and third layers consist essentially of a polymer such as parylene and at least one of the other two layers of the set consist essentially of inorganic material such that each layer differs in at least one diffusion barrier property from the other layers in the set, for example differing in diffusion behaviour through each layer relative to the other layers. In some constructions, the barrier property for the transport of impurities, such as unwanted molecules, atoms or ions, both inward toward a packaged device as well as outward toward a patient in which the device is implanted, is dominated more by the interface between two adjacent layers than by the thickness of each individual layer. Preferably, the diffusion behaviour of each layer is additive to that of the other layers, and set 26 repeats the same sequence of layers with layers 6, 7, 7′ (not shown) etc. As many sets of layers can be applied as desired. In some constructions, an additional treatment, such as a gas plasma, or an additional layer is added to improve the interface between two layers, especially with respect to impurity diffusion.

It is a realization of the inventors that increasing the number and type of thinner layers, rather than having fewer, thicker layers, enhances overall barrier properties of packaging according to the present invention due to the increased number of layer interfaces. In other words, the sum of the interfaces dominates diffusion behaviour, and therefore the overall barrier effect of the coating, more than the sum of the thicknesses of the layers. This may also be expressed as the diffusion barrier being composed by the layer interface and each layer itself. Polymers such as parylene are especially desirable for properties such as being pin-hole free, homogenous, and stress-free, and denser materials such as certain inorganic materials are especially desirable for their density.

One system 100 for achieving such conformal packaging with multi-layer coatings is shown in FIG. 3. Deposition chamber 103 can be utilized for a thermal process, such as a conventional Gorham process, or a plasma enhanced process. For the thermal process, such as for parylene deposition, a vaporization chamber 101 is provided to vaporize a solid parylene precursor, for example a stable di-cyclic dimer, di-p-xylylene, or halogenated derivatives at temperature between 110° and 200° C. The vaporized precursor then passes to a pyrolysis chamber 102 to decompose the dimer in reactive species, such as monomers, at temperatures between 400° C. and 700° C. For dichloro-p-xylylene, typical parameters are 150° C. for the vaporization and 650° C. for the pyrolysis. The pyrolized precursor then passes from the pyrolysis chamber through a gate valve 108 to the medical devices to be treated on a sample holder 111 in the deposition chamber 103. Typical parylene layer thickness is between 10 nm-100 microns. The precursor vapour pressure in the deposition chamber 103 is approximately between 1 and 10 Pa, typically 7 Pa, and the substrate temperature is substantially at room temperature. The remaining vapour mixture then passes from deposition chamber 103 to a cold trap 104 connected to a vacuum pump 105. During the parylene deposition, gate valves 107 and 112 are closed.

For the plasma enhanced process, the deposition process performed in chamber 103 can be either an external downstream plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) facility or an in-situ plasma enhanced process. The downstream reactor is composed of a plasma tube 113 and a coil 114 around the plasma tube connected to the RF generator 115. The tube 113 is in gaseous communication with the gas source 116 and the deposition chamber 103. The desired amounts and proportions of gases supplied by gas source 116 introduced into the plasma tube 113 may be regulated using one or more mass flow controllers. The capacitively and/or inductively coupled high frequency plasma is utilized to excite and/or dissociate most of the entering process gas created by organic or inorganic precursors. This reactive gas is then injected in the deposition chamber 103 through a valve 112 that is alternatively opened and closed in counter phase with the gate valve 108 for parylene deposition. During the downstream deposition, the valve 107 is open to evacuate parylene via a bypass 106 to the cold trap 104. The power of the generator is between 10 to 500 Watts according to the specific reactor size.

For the in-situ plasma process, controlled plasma is formed adjacent to the medical device wafers by RF energy applied to sample holder 111 from RF generator 109, with the deposition chamber 103 grounded, via a high frequency sealed pass-through connector 110. RF generator 109 can supply a high RF frequency of typically 13.56 MHz or 2.45 GHz to the sample holder 111 to enhance the decomposition and/or excitation of reactive species introduced into chamber.

In a number of constructions, one of the inorganic layers is SiNx for its low permeability and low film stress characteristics. Typically, the deposition conditions are 130 sccm of SiH4 (5% in argon), 20 sccm NH3, 100-180 W RF power, 800 mTorr chamber pressure, and 80-120° C. substrate temperature. Preferably, thicknesses between 10-300 nm are deposited. Other gases could be used, as for example SiH4/NH3/H2 or SiH4/N2.

In a number of constructions, one of the inorganic layers is SiOx for its well established process. Typically, the deposition conditions are 150 sccm SiH4, 100 sccm N2O, 30-80 W RF power, 800 mTorr pressure, and 80° C. substrate temperature. Preferably, thicknesses between 10-300 nm are deposited. Other gases could be used, as for example SiH4/N2O/Ar or HMDS/O2.

Other inorganic materials could be used as well according to the present invention, with biocompatibility being preferred. Possible materials including, but not limited to, metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides, and combinations thereof can be utilized. Metals include, but are not limited to, titanium, aurum, platinum, argentum, ferrum, aluminum, nickel, indium, tantalum, tin, zirconium, chromium, zinc, barium, calcium, sodium, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof. Metal oxides include, but are not limited to a compound of oxygen and the metals mentioned above and combinations thereof. Some examples are titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, sodium oxide, zirconium oxide. Metal nitrides include, but are not limited to a compound of nitrogen and the metals mentioned above and combinations thereof. Some examples are aluminum nitride titanium nitride. Metal carbides include, but are not limited to a compound of carbon and the metals mentioned above and combinations thereof. Metal oxynitrides include, but are not limited to a compound of oxygen, nitrogen and the metals mentioned above and combinations thereof. Other inorganic materials could be used, but not limited to, are semi-metals, semi-metal oxides, semi-metal nitrides, semi-metalcarbides, semi-metal oxynitrides and combinations thereof. Preferably materials are, but not limited to, silicon, germanium, boron, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, germanium oxide, germanium nitride, germanium oxynitride, boron oxide, boron nitride, boron oxynitride and combinations thereof. Other inorganic biocompatible materials which can be deposited are calcium phosphate, barium sulfides, and barium oxysulfides.

The structure of the materials mentioned above could be crystalline, partially crystalline or amorphous. Preferably amorphous materials are based on, but not limited to, silicon, boron, carbon, titanium, aluminum, zirconium and hydroxylapatite and combinations thereof.

Layer on substrate adhesion or layer on layer adhesion could be improved by different processes. Typically for parylene adhesion, either on substrate or on layer, but not limited to, silanization or gas plasma treatment are used. For example oxygen, nitrogen or air plasma is applied directly in the deposition chamber 103 before coating. Further, other adhesion layer or plasma enhanced deposition layer can be used. Preferably, a well known adhesion layer based on silanes are composed of vinyl trichlorosilane in either xylene, isopropyl alcohol or a chlorofluorocarbon gas. Alternatively, gammamethacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane in a methanol-water solvent have been successfully used. Silanes can also be vapour phase applied if non-liquid application is preferred.

Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or steps that perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve the same results be within the scope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Every issued patent, pending patent application, publication, journal article, book or any other reference cited herein is each incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

1. An implantable medical device comprising: a plurality of components on a substrate having at least a first three-dimensional portion; and a biocompatible multi-layer coating applied by vapour deposition to conform to and sealingly cover at least the first portion of the components and the substrate, the coating having been applied in at least two sets, each set having at least first, second and third layers; and at least one of the first, second and third layers consisting essentially of a polymer and at least one of the other two layers of the set consisting essentially of inorganic material such that each layer differs in at least one diffusion barrier property from the other layers in the set and adds to an overall barrier effect of the coating.
 2. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein a barrier property for the transport of impurities is dominated more by the interface between adjacent layers than by the thickness of each individual layer.
 3. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein diffusion through each layer differs from that of the other layers in the set.
 4. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the inorganic material is supplied by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition.
 5. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the inorganic material is generated from an in-situ plasma in a reactor.
 6. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the polymer is selected from di-p-xylylene and halogenated derivatives thereof supplied by chemical vapour deposition.
 7. The implantable medical device of claim 6 wherein the precursor is dichloro-p-xylylene.
 8. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the inorganic layers are selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxyborides semi-metals, semi-metal oxides, semi-metal nitrides, semi-metal carbides, semi-metal oxynitrides, and combinations thereof.
 9. The implantable medical device of claim 1 wherein the components have at least a first three-dimensional portion, and the coating conforms to and sealingly covers at least the first portion of the components.
 10. The implantable medical device of claim 9 wherein the multi-layer coating conforms to and sealingly covers at least substantially all of the components.
 11. An implantable medical device comprising: a plurality of components on a substrate having at least a first three-dimensional portion; and a biocompatible multi-layer coating applied by vapour deposition to conform to and sealingly cover at least the first portion of the components and the substrate, the coating having been applied in at least two sets, each set having essentially first, second and third layers; at least one of the first, second and third layers consisting essentially of a parylene and at least one of the other two layers of the set consisting essentially of inorganic material; and wherein a diffusion barrier property through each layer differs from that of the other layers in the set and adds to an overall barrier effect of the coating.
 12. The implantable medical device of claim 9 wherein the multi-layer coating conforms to and sealingly covers at least substantially all of the components and the substrate.
 13. The implantable medical device of claim 10 wherein a barrier property for the transport of impurities is dominated more by the interface between adjacent layers than by the thickness of each individual layer. 